A method, apparatus, and system for facilitating bending of an instrument in a surgical or medical robotic environment are provided. In one aspect, a surgical system includes an instrument comprising an end effector, the instrument capable of articulation via a bending section. The bending section includes a body including a first strut and a second strut, and a channel formed through the body. The first strut and the second strut form a gap therebetween, wherein the gap is in communication with the channel formed through the body.

An instrument that facilitates bending with large degrees of articulation while maintaining ease of manufacturing for medical and surgical applications is discussed.

Featured are systems, devices and apparatuses for use in minimally invasive surgical, diagnostic or therapeutic methods and/or techniques, in particular methods and/or techniques for a mammalian throat. In particular embodiments, a dexterity apparatus including one or more dexterity devices is featured, where each of the dexterity devices comprises surgical tools and each is configured and arranged with end-tip dexterity for enhanced manipulation. A portion of the dexterity devices is snake like, which is re-configurable (i.e., can be bent) so as to in effect maneuver the surgical tool and put the tool in a desired position with respect to the surgical site. Another portion of the dexterity device includes the surgical tool thereby providing the capability of performing surgical actions such as sewing, gripping, soft tissue manipulation, cutting and suction of saliva, blood and other materials from the surgical site.

A robot assembly for transporting a substrate is presented. The robot assembly having a first arm and a second arm supported by a column, the first arm further having a first limb, the first limb having a first set of revolute joint/line pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of the distal most link of the first limb in the horizontal plane. The assembly further having a second arm further having a second limb, the second limb comprising a second set of revolute joint/link pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of a distalmost link of the second limb in the horizontal plane. The first limb and second limb further having proximal revolute joints having a common vertical axis of rotation and a proximal inner joint housed in a common housing. The assembly further having an actuator assembly coupled to the first set of revolute joint/link pairs and to the second set of revolute joint/link pairs to effect rotation and translation of the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb, each of the first limb and the second limb defining, in conjunction with the actuator assembly, at least three degrees of freedom per limb, whereby the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb are independently horizontally translatable for extension and retraction.

A bendable, telescopic, and flexible mechanical structure comprises: a distal-end structure body, a proximal-end structure body, and a middle connecting body. The distal-end structure body comprises a distal-end spacing disc, a distal-end locking disc and a structure bone. The proximal-end structure body comprises a proximal-end spacing disc, a proximal-end locking disc and the structure bone. The middle connecting body comprises pipe fixing plates and a pipe. The distal-end structure body is connected to the proximal-end structure body through the middle connecting body. One end of the structure bone is fixed on the proximal-end locking disc. Then, the structure bone passes through the proximal-end spacing disc, the middle connecting body and the distal-end spacing disc sequentially, and is fixed on the distal-end locking disc.

A robotic positioning apparatus configured for moving an element from an initial position to a target position. The apparatus includes a moveable member attachable to an element to be moved; at least one tensile support member for supporting the movable member; and at least one tensile positioning member for repositioning the moveable member. The at least one tensile positioning member is configured to maintain the at least one tensile support member in tension. The at least one tensile support member is configured to maintain an inclination of at least a portion of the moveable member during repositioning.

An apparatus for driving an articulating probe comprises an elongate probe constructed and arranged to articulate in at least one predetermined degree of motion and to transition from a flexible state to a rigid state, and a force transfer mechanism constructed and arranged to apply a force to the probe. The force is selected from the group consisting of a force that causes probe to articulate in the at least one predetermined degree of motion and a force that causes the probe to transition from the flexible state to the rigid state. The base structure is attached to portion of the force transfer mechanism and the elongate probe; the base structure comprising one or more stabilizing elements constructed and arranged to resist undesired movement of the probe caused by force from the force transfer mechanism.

An arm unit having an improved configuration to simply change stiffness according to varying situations and a robot having the same are provided. The robot includes an arm unit, and a drive unit to drive the arm unit. The arm unit includes a plurality of links to come into rolling contact with one another via at least two regions thereof, and a plurality of wires penetrating the plurality of links to connect the links to one another.

An actuating member for causing a flexible elongated member for medical use to perform a predetermined curving motion includes a push-pull member including a first moving part and a second moving part which are configured to be movable relative to one another in an axial direction of the elongated member, the first moving part and the second moving part being pushable and pullable so as to cause the elongated member to curve in the axial direction of the elongated member; a curving motion restricting member which is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the elongated member, and which is configured to restrict curving of at least a portion of the elongated member; and an operation member configured to operate movements of the first moving part, the second moving part, and the curving motion restricting member.

An instrument for endoscopic applications, including a tubular member having a handling end portion having a flexible portion and actuating devices located at the other end portion, and longitudinal elements for transferring the movement of the actuating devices to the handling end portion resulting in a change of orientation thereof, whereby the handling end portion includes at least two independent flexible portions, whereby the actuating end portion has a corresponding number of actuating devices, and whereby each actuating device is connected by its own set of longitudinal elements to a part of the handling end portion for effecting a change of orientation of one of the flexible portions.